Born in Buxton, Derbyshire, Cole grew up in nearby Chapel en le Frith and went to New Mills Grammar School. After failing in law at University College London, he later attended (but did not graduate from) the University of Glasgow where he studied philosophy and English and met the other members of band that would become The Commotions. Their 1984 debut, Rattlesnakes, contained numerous literary and pop culture references to figures like Norman Mailer, Grace Kelly, Eva Marie Saint, Truman Capote and Joan Didion. The group produced two more albums, Easy Pieces and Mainstream, before disbanding in 1989, when Cole re-located to New York to record with legendary musicians like Fred Maher and Robert Quine (as well as a then largely unknown Matthew Sweet).
This solo setting produced two acclaimed albums, Lloyd Cole in 1990 and 1991's Don't Get Weird on Me Babe. The latter was recorded in two parts: one side continued the New York rock mastered on his first solo album, while the other side featured a session orchestra, much in the style of Burt Bacharach or Scott Walker. Although some reviewers have claimed Don't Get Weird on Me Babe (the title being a quote from the American neo-realism poet Raymond Carver) to be a creative peak, it produced significantly lesser record sales, and the contract with Capitol Records ended.
Subsequently signed by Rykodisc, Cole continued redefining his sound with Bad Vibes (1993), a collaboration with producer/remixer Adam Peters using a harder, grunge and psychedelica inspired sound. Love Story (1995) established stripped-down, largely acoustic sound landscapes with the help of Stephen Street (famous for his work with Blur and The Smiths) and former Commotions Neil Clark and Blair Cowan; the album produced a minor hit with the song "Like Lovers Do".
In 2000, after years without a contract, Cole recorded a disc with the New York band The Negatives, featuring Jill Sobule and Dave Derby of the Dambuilders. He has since released solo albums on smaller independent labels. Sanctuary Records, the company responsible for the revival of Morrissey, released Music in a Foreign Language (2003) in the U.K. Recorded largely by Cole himself (including tracks recorded directly into a Mac), the songs had a stark, folk-inspired singer-songwriter style. One Little Indian, home of Björk, released Music in a Foreign Language in the U.S.; they also collected a number of outtakes (recorded from 1996 to 2000) on 2004's Etc. and released an instrumental ambient electronica album, Plastic Wood, the same year.
Cole continued to tour, playing intimate club venues in a one-man acoustic setting. In 2004, to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of Rattlesnakes, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions reformed to perform a one-off, sell-out tour in the U.K. and Ireland. An avid golfer, he is also known for playing concerts in towns suspiciously close to famous golf courses. He also shares a passion for this sport with Alice Cooper who is said to introduce the song "Only Women Bleed" claiming "not even Lloyd Cole has written a song about menstruation" when playing live.
Cole's album "Antidepressant" was released in 2006 featuring the former Commotions guitarist Neil Clark on some tracks.
The follow-up Broken Record, released in September 2010, marked a departure from his solo recordings, as it was performed by a band of longstanding friends and working partners, including Fred Maher, Joan Wasser, Rainy Orteca, Dave Derby and Blair Cowan – as well as two musicians, Matt Cullen (guitar; banjo) and Mark Schwaber (guitar; mandolin).
An album co-funded by fans, Standards, was released in June 2013.
A studio album – Guesswork – was released on July 26, 2019 by earMUSIC.
Loveless
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And turn it into a winter's tale
You pull down the blinds and shut out the sky
And do what you can to turn the whole thing grey
You're crying and pleading and you're hell just to be with
And you're everything that I'll ever need
So why do you say you love me when you don't?
You fall back into the english way
You sit and you stare at the empty page
And then you fill it with verse, make the whole thing worse
You lie and you cheat your own mind to believing
That you don't need anything or anyone
So why do you say you love me when you don't?
And why should I feel blue when I do?
Why?
You lie in the heat of a summer haze
And turn it into a winter's tale
You fall back into the english way
Of feeling only guilt 'cause you feel no pain
You're crying and pleading and you're hell just to be with
And you're everything that I'll ever need
So why do you say you love me when you don't?
Why should I feel...
And who's gonna love the loveless if not you?
Why?
Why?
In the song Loveless by Lloyd Cole, the singer is describing a tumultuous relationship where his partner tries to turn everything into a bleak, loveless existence. She lies in the heat of summer and manages to turn it into a winter's tale, the opposite of what it should be. She is always trying to shut out the light and make everything grey, even though she is everything that he needs. The singer wonders why she would say she loves him when she clearly does not.
The singer keeps coming back to the idea that his partner is trying to make everything loveless. She falls back into the English way of feeling only guilt, never allowing herself to feel pleasure. She fills the empty page with verse to make everything worse, even though she is cheating herself into thinking she doesn't need anyone. The singer asks again why she would say she loves him when she does not. He wonders why he should feel blue when the loveless person in the relationship is his partner. The song ends with the plea asking who will love the loveless if not his partner.
Line by Line Meaning
You lie in the heat of a summer haze
You deceive yourself in the midst of happiness and passion
And turn it into a winter's tale
But you make it all end in sadness and melancholy
You pull down the blinds and shut out the sky
You close yourself off from the world and its beauty
And do what you can to turn the whole thing grey
You try to make everything dull and lifeless
You're crying and pleading and you're hell just to be with
You're difficult to handle, but I'm willing to endure your behavior
And you're everything that I'll ever need
Because I can't help but love you despite your flaws
So why do you say you love me when you don't?
But you don't truly feel the same way about me
You fall back into the english way
You resort to feeling guilty for no reason
Of feeling only guilt 'cause you feel no pain
You feel guilty because you don't know how to express your emotions
You sit and you stare at the empty page
You have moments of emptiness and feel creatively blocked
And then you fill it with verse, make the whole thing worse
But when you do express your feelings, it often exacerbates the situation
You lie and you cheat your own mind to believing
You deceive yourself into thinking you don't need anyone or anything but yourself
That you don't need anything or anyone
When in reality, you have a deep need for companionship and love
So why do you say you love me when you don't?
You can't truly love me if you don't know how to love yourself
And why should I feel blue when I do?
I shouldn't have to feel sad or unfulfilled because of your emotional instability
You lie in the heat of a summer haze
You deceive yourself in the midst of happiness and passion
And turn it into a winter's tale
But you make it all end in sadness and melancholy
You fall back into the english way
You resort to feeling guilty for no reason
Of feeling only guilt 'cause you feel no pain
You feel guilty because you don't know how to express your emotions
You're crying and pleading and you're hell just to be with
You're difficult to handle, but I'm willing to endure your behavior
And you're everything that I'll ever need
Because deep down, I can't help but care for you
So why do you say you love me when you don't?
You can't love someone else if you don't love yourself
Why should I feel...
I shouldn't have to feel sad or unfulfilled because of your emotional instability
And who's gonna love the loveless if not you?
If you can't love yourself, how can anyone else truly love you?
Why?
Why do we put ourselves through the pain of love when it's so difficult?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BLAIR COWAN, LLOYD COLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Olivier van der Heijden
Definitely one of, if not the most, beautiful songs Lloyd Cole has ever written and performed. I love it and keep on listening to it now for the past 29 years!
Gary Houtz
The percussion sounds like something falling over. A perfect song
António Carreira
One of his best songs, in my humble opinion.
Only 2.644 views, it's like a well kept secret!
Ricardo Dinis
Sem dúvida
Promoted Firebird
One of his best lyrical works.
Carolina Lys
Esta canción es preciosa , siempre me ha tocado el corazón. La voz de Lloyd Cole es maravillosa.
Jean Vúvú
One of my favourite Lloyd Cole Songs
rmle23
Great song like only Lloyde Cole can do!
Phil Brown
You pull down the blinds and shut out the sky
And do what you can to turn the whole thing grey
You're crying and pleading and you're hell just to be with
And you're everything that I'll ever need
So why do you say you love me when you don't?
edgar olivos
Vaya! Música solo para conocedores!! Wuaw!!!